1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traps for capturing and retaining shellfish, and more particularly to traps which are designed to capture lobsters and crabs.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The value of shellfish as nutritious food has been well known for many years. However, in recent years many more shellfish have been consumed than ever before. This is partly due to the relatively high cost of beef and other farm animals raised for food and also due to the increased general awareness of the high nutritional value of shellfish. As a consquence of this greater demand, there has been a large increase in number of shellfish caught each year, both for commercial sale and for personal consumption.
The traditional method of capturing shellfish is to utilize traps having a doorway which a shellfish can easily enter through, but cannot find its way back out of. These traps are placed at strategic locations in an area known to be inhabited by shellfish and are marked with bouys or the like. Periodically, the fisherman raises the traps and empties the catch either through an end panel of the trap or a special door designed for this purpose.
Prior known shellfish traps are usually quite cumbersome and difficult to carry from one location to another. Furthermore, the construction of these traps is quite complicated and can be very expensive. Accordingly, a need has arisen for a shellfish trap which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and can be easily transported from one location to another.